Deputies arrested a man accused of providing bogus auto body work and they are looking for other people who may have been scammed. Nicholas Johnson, 33, of Port Richey was arrested last week on a charge of scheming to defraud. He offered to provide auto body work to three victims, but used only Play-Doh and wax to cover up the damage, according to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report. He claimed he would return the next day to finish the repairs, but never did, deputies said. The Sheriff's Office believes Johnson found his victims by driving around neighborhoods and parking lots, finding people who needed auto body repair and then approaching them. Johnson was released after posting $5,150 bail, but detectives are pursuing leads on other potential victims. Anyone with information may call Detective Bruce Cohen, toll-free, at 1-800-706-2488, ext. 7213.

HUDSON

Pedestrian killed on Little Road

A 55-year-old pedestrian died Tuesday night after being struck by an SUV, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Ronald D. Cook of Hudson was walking east to west within the crosswalk on Little Road at Cricket Street about 7:30 p.m. when he walked into the path of a Chevrolet Suburban heading north during a green traffic light, troopers said. Cook was struck by the front of the Suburban and died at the scene, troopers said. The driver, Bret T. Milliron, 54, of Hudson and a passenger, Sharon Baker-Milliron, 55, were not hurt in the crash.

DADE CITY

Principal will serve on interim basis

When Pasco High principal Pat Reedy retires at the end of December, assistant principal Kari Kadlub will take over on an interim basis. Superintendent Kurt Browning announced the move last week, saying he wants more time to ponder exactly how to proceed with the pool of candidates for the job. The district's existing procedures allow for only a handful of people to be considered for principal vacancies in Pasco schools, but Browning has said he wants to open up the field. Kadlub would not have been eligible to lead the school under the old rules because she was not in the district's secondary principal pool. The application deadline for the Pasco High job passed two weeks ago. Three current assistant principals applied: Rich Batchelor (Land O'Lakes High), Robyn White (Wiregrass Ranch High) and Marcy Maxwell (Land O'Lakes High). Browning has not scheduled interviews, pending his review of policy and procedures.

NEW PORT RICHEY

Thrift shop offers half-off discounts

St. Stephen's Thrift Shop will hold a special half-price sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 7-11. Everything in the shop will be sold at 50 percent discount, unless marked otherwise. There will also be a clearance rack with items being sold two for $1. The thrift shop is at 5326 Charles St. Call (727) 846-1378.

TAMPA — Tampa officials said Thursday they are reducing the speed limit on Bayshore Boulevard, one day after a mother was struck and killed by a speeding car while pushing her 21-month-old daughter across the city’s signature street.Starting Friday, ...

As a fifth-grader, Aleesha Mance wrote an essay about her sister’s killer, explaining how peer pressure and drugs led the 17-year-old to make a deadly choice.
In high school, she searched for his name online. She read news articles about a tee...

Hope Cheston was 14 when, outside a friend’s birthday party in October 2012 in Jonesboro, Georgia, an armed security guard at an apartment complex raped her on a picnic table.For years, she thought she’d be forgotten like countless other sexual assau...

Scientists are in consensus: The 2018 hurricane season could be an active one.On Thursday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2018 Atlantic hurricane seasonal outlook. It’s calling for between 10 and 16 named storms, five...

Regardless of the reason, the cancellation of the U.S.-North Korea summit to address Pyonyang’s nuclear program is hardly the worst possible outcome of this high-stakes diplomatic gamble. President Donald Trump was unprepared, North Korea’s Kim Jong ...

Only four cities in the country have produced more four- or five-star prospects in the Rivals era than Tampa.That's according to a little number-crunching from Rivals' Mike Farrell.Tampa has produced 48 blue-chip prospects since the site began in 200...

Bucs offensive lineman Ali Marpet questioned the legality of the NFL's new policy that requires players to stand for the national anthem if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if t...

A 30-year-old upstate New York man was ordered to leave his parents’ house by a state Supreme Court Justice this week after rebuffing several attempts by his parents to get him to move out.The case of Michael Rotondo has made national and internation...